Why do podcasts make us feel like we know people we have never met?

With podcasts becoming increasingly popular in recent years, it makes sense to ask why this is. People are beginning to seek comfort in the familiar voices that flood their rooms from podcast hosts. This seems odd due to the decreased attention span of many (especially the younger generation) due to short-form content.

It can seem strange that we find comfort and warmth through these people that we (for the most past) have never met

However, now more than ever, people are retreating to podcasts and the familiar voices of their favourite podcast hosts for comfort and a sense of familiarity. It can seem strange that we find comfort and warmth through these people that we (for the most part) have never met. So why does it feel as though they are almost our friends? Why does it feel like we are there in the conversation with them? And why does it make us feel less alone?

In a time where it seems that face to face connections are on the decline because it is more convenient to use technology as a mode of communication, it can be argued that perhaps people are resorting to artificial friendships to fill in what is missing in their lives. Podcasts have been gaining popularity over the years – with an estimated 619 million listeners across the globe according to Search Engine Land – whether that be comedy podcasts, true crime podcasts, self-help podcasts, filmreview podcasts, book review podcasts, podcasts for learningor just for entertainment. It can seem strange how podcasts are on the rise when we can access this information and entertainment from TikTok and Instagram reels. So maybe thepull-factor is being able to listen to the same voices that become familiar, which can become a routine part of your day. Perhaps people are listening to more and more podcasts because it feels less isolating than scrolling TikTok and listening to advice from millions of different people which can be overwhelming.

people can grow so attached to the podcast hosts they listen to, as listeners get so used to hearing hosts’ voices that they almost feel like they truly know them

It is also interesting to note that we often listen to podcasts while multitasking with day-to-day tasks, making it feel as though the celebrity or host is right there doing these tasks with us, giving us company. This highlights how people can grow so attached to the podcast hosts they listen to, as listeners get so used to hearing hosts’ voices that they almost feel like they truly know them.

Podcasts thus almost build parasocial, one-sided friendships

With podcast hosts, you begin to feel as though you’ve built trust and a connection with them – an artificial friend, one could say. Podcasts thus almost build parasocial, one-sidedfriendships: a friend who we can just switch on when we feel bored or lonely at the click of a button, allowing us to be in control of when and where we want to listen to them.

This is evidenced in Horton and Wohl’s study from Mass Communication and Para-Social Interaction where they describe how specific types of performers such as interviewers, quiz masters and the like, exist solely for theirparasocial relationships with their audience. The same could be said for podcast hosts, whose purpose is to talk to these ‘strangers’ through online means, creating these types of relationships where the listener feels as though they have atruly personal connection with the speaker.